True Crime with Kimbyr - PART 1 Murder In The Middle of The Night - The DeVore Family Triple Homicide | True Crime

Episode Date: December 12, 2025

What nightmare unfolded in the quiet DeVore household? On this episode of True Crime with Kimbyr, we unravel the shocking triple homicide that tore a family apart in the dead of night. Who could commit such a heinous act, and what dark secrets were hidden behind closed doors? With detailed research and compassionate insight, True Crime with Kimbyr examines the relationships, motives, and chilling clues that surround this tragic case. Dive into the mystery, explore the evidence, and confront the haunting question: how did an ordinary night turn into a family’s worst nightmare? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us are used to a world where we feel free to go about our daily lives, going to work, school, and spending time with family in the comfort of our own homes, hopefully in communities where neighbors look out for one another, and we feel safe with the people around us. We know it's impossible to truly understand the intentions of everyone we encounter throughout the day, and even what's going on behind someone's eyes. But sometimes you never know who's watching you. And for one family who had everything to live for, this is what they were about to discover in a way they could have never imagined. Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel, and if you've never been here before, I am Kimberlea. Nice to finally meet you. I want to start off by telling you about

Diane Grant. Diane Ruth Grant was born in 1963 and grew up in the town of it, still in Hampton County, South Carolina. Diane's mom, Sarah Bowen, was only a teenager at the time that Diane was born. So Diane was raised by her father's family. They lived in a very tight-knit community of just over 1,800 people at the time. It's one of those places where everyone knew one another. Unfortunately, there isn't much that I was able to find

about Diane's childhood or her adolescence, but I do try my very best. But from what I could tell, she was much loved by her extended family. Diane was known for being quiet and reserved, but she was a warm and generous person with strong family values. She spent a lot of her time in the nearby towns of Gifford and Scotia just a 10-minute drive away.

And these places were even smaller than the town she grew up in. They were home to just several hundred people. When Diane was in her late teens, she started dating a man from Gifford named Willie Lee Davor, who was around her same age. The couple welcomed their first son, Marquise, in 1982, when Diane was 19 years old. And it appears the couple went on to get married. The day after Christmas, December 26 in 1987, 24-year-old Diane gave birth to a second son that they named Tatavius. Then on July 16, 1992, Diane and Willie's daughter was born.

A little girl, they named Deanna. Diane, of course, loved all of her children equally, but when Deanna came along, she was thrilled to finally have a daughter, a mini-me that she could dress up and one day look forward to all sorts of mother-daughter. bonding activities that would cultivate a deep and loving relationship between girls and their mothers. Marquise was a very protective older brother and Detavius was his best friend. The boys felt even more protective of their sister, Deanna, because she was the baby of the family and also because she was a girl. The parenting dynamic in the divorce household was one that many of us can probably relate to.

Willie was your classic, easygoing, fun dad. while Diane was the one who kept the kids in line, but always in a positive and loving manner. By this time, Diane had been in touch with other people from her past, one whom she had never known even existed. As I mentioned, Diane had been raised by her father's family, but in her early 20s, she decided she wanted to reconnect with her mother, Sarah, who lived out in New York.

With a pair communicating once again, Diane got a huge surprise. When her mother told her, she had a brother, brother that was one year older than she was and he lived out in Connecticut. Diane could not believe this. The news was a shock in a lot of ways, but it was also an unexpected opportunity for her to get to know someone with whom she shared DNA and hopefully forge a close bond. This is happening more and more with sites like 23 and me and ancestry and I always wonder if I have any unknown siblings out there somewhere. Let me know if you have any personal stories.

of reconnecting with a long lost loved one. I would really love to know. But Diane got in touch with her brother, and they began gradually getting to know each other through emails and phone calls. They knew that one day, when they both felt comfortable, they would eventually meet. Sadly, around 1995, 32-year-old Diane and Willie's marriage came to an end.

Marquise was 13, Jatavius was seven, and Deanna was just about three years old. Unlike so many couples where things become difficult and hostile and the parenting arrangements break down, Willie and Diane were different. They managed to co-parent really successfully. Their kids were still so young so they knew the most important thing was staying amicable and keeping disruption with the kids' lives as minimal as possible, ensuring they felt happy, safe, and loved at all times. They thought just because things didn't work out between them as a couple, this in no way meant they weren't 100% committed to being the best parents they could.

Marquise, Jatavius, and Deanna split their time between two different households, but this in no way diminished how loved they felt by their parents. The five of them were still a strong family unit, even if Willie and Diane were no longer in a romantic relationship. Now, also dealing with the challenge of a changed financial situation in addition to being a single mom, Diane often worked two jobs to make ends meet and provide the best life she could for her kids,

whether she was working at a florist, a plastic manufacturer company, or even a record company. At one stage in life, she commuted to work as a housekeeper in the resort destination of Hilton Head Island. Something she couldn't have done had she not had the support of her extended family

to help look after the kids. And of course, Diane was exceptionally grateful to have that network around her. Her coworkers at the plastics factory knew her as a go-getter. Someone who was always busy, and in 10 places at once. But she was also the kind of person who knew how to see the positive side of situations

and overcome her hardships no matter how tough they might be. Her childhood friend, Charles Hosendov, who attended school with Diane and went on to work with her at the plastics company said that Diane was never really bothered by much. And if she was, she wasn't the sort of person to make it known. In late 2001, 38-year-old Diane was presented with a new job opportunity. and she accepted a role at another manufacturing plant. Her coworkers threw her a farewell party. They were going to truly miss her professionalism, kindness,

and of course her friendly face. And not everyone gets a farewell party when they leave a job, but Diane's new role wasn't in Gifford. It was actually 90 miles away in the city of North Charleston in Dorchester County. This is the southernmost part of South Carolina, in the heart of what's known as the Low Country. and part of the broader Charleston metropolitan area.

The first time that I was ever really introduced to the low country was when I was watching the Alec Murdoch trial. So you may be familiar with this part of South Carolina if you followed that case. This is a historic sprawling area, but it's one of the most poorest regions in the state, unfortunately.

As the third largest city in South Carolina, North Charleston straddles the multiple counties of Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester, where Diane and her youngest kids were going to move. The city, which is northwest of Charleston itself, is situated between two rivers, with the Ashley River to the west and the Cooper River to the east. North Charleston has a rich but complex history and cultural diversity among its residents. It was originally built off the exploitation of enslaved African people who arrived in the area

via the slave trade. And over time, it continued to grow off the back of the agricultural industry, After its naval base was established in the turn of the 20th century, it also became home to a growing manufacturing and industrial sector. But of course, a lot had changed over the years, and in 2001, 38-year-old Diane, 14-year-old Dutavius and 9-year-old Diana made the move to see what awaited them. It was no doubt going to be tough for Diane being a single mom and moving so far away from her support network. But she was up for the challenge and she could see that. see the opportunity was ultimately for the benefit of her children with access to better education and better jobs. And even though they weren't moving out of state, it was no doubt a little bit scary and an uncertain time for the kids. North Charleston was home to over 81,000 people, way more

than they were used to growing up in a very small town. The kids were also leaving behind everything they'd ever known, including their dad and their older brother Marquise, who was now 19. He decided to make an even bigger move, moving down to Florida on his own and not long after arriving in Jacksonville, Marquise met a 19-year-old woman named Sonia who would go on to become his wife. Sonia was hanging out having a meal with her dad when Marquis spotted her and he was immediately struck by how beautiful Sonia was. Marquise introduced himself and of course Sonia probably thought he was just as good looking with his bright greenish blue eyes and olive skin. He definitely stood out in a crowd. made a gorgeous couple and soon they began seriously dating and it wasn't long before he and

sonya fell in love and after about a year together they took the plunge and moved in with one another meanwhile diane and the younger children had moved into archdale forest apartment complex at 99 shagbark trail in north charleston the complex which had on-site property management consisted of 328 apartments in town homes divided up into multiple larger buildings with around five dwellings to each building. Shadbark Trail looped around the complex so the quiet wooded area had a cozy community feel where everyone looked out for one another. Kids hung out in the playground or by the pool or the picnic area and people would wave to one another and walk their dogs. Residents felt really safe there and there were minimal if any problems in terms of any criminal type of activity.

Diane, Jatavius, and Deanna quickly settled into their apartment, 213B. Diane worked hard at her new job to provide for her children and give them the best life she could. She was driven and intelligent and despite working long hours, she put her kids first and she took an immense amount of pride in herself, especially in her appearance. Even though she worked these long hours, she knew how to keep herself together. She always made it look effortless as well. She was very classy and beautiful. Around 2004, she took a new job in quality control. at the Robert Bosch Manufacturing Plant working second shift,

which was great because it was only a four-minute drive away from their home. The 40-year-old was soon a valuable and highly respected part of the team, and she stood out to her shift supervisor Anthony Gilliard, who described Diane as a stellar performer. Diane was always friendly and helpful as a neighbor, and she instilled these same qualities in her children as well. They were always there to lend a hand to others. And this is exactly how Jetavius met.

a lot of people in his community, especially some of his closest friends. He was known as a bit of a class clown, but like his mom, he was kind and generous. And one day when Jatavius was driving home, he spotted his neighbor, 18-year-old Ushamaki, walking around carrying a big laundry basket as she headed home. Jadavius pulled over and he offered her a ride. And from then on, they were really, really close friends. Living so close to each other, they began hanging out really, regularly. Usha and Chetavius would either hang out at Diane's place or at another apartment nearby.

And because the group didn't have to go far to walk home, it became quite usual for them to stay up well into the early hours of the morning, just talking and hanging out and spending time together. Deanna, meanwhile, was growing into a young woman and developing a solid sense of self, which we know can be difficult during those awkward teenage years. Unlike her mom, Deanna wasn't quiet. She was quite a chatterbox. Her grandmother, Sarah, described her as very outspoken, which made Deanna popular at school. She made friends easily, especially in the apartment complex, thanks to her outgoing personality and very sweet, respectful manner.

One neighbor, Tia Thomas, thought of Deanna as his own daughter, given her close relationship with two of the Thomas girls, who would go roller skating together and play around the community. And as community-minded, as Diane and her children were, they were definitely not the kind of neighbors to cause drama or to bother anyone. They didn't open the door to anyone they didn't know, but they were always there to help anyone who needed it. Now, let's shift to what's happening down in Florida.

Marquis and Sonia just welcomed their first child in 2002, a daughter. And then in 2005, Sonia gave birth to their son. And Diane was, of course, aesthetic. She was now a grandma, and she couldn't do enough for oldest son's growing family. But it was also hard on Diane being states away from her grandchildren. Like many young parents, Marquise, who was employed by a trucking company, and Sonia both had to work to pay the bills.

And when their children were old enough to go on a road trip to Diane's, she jumped at the opportunity. So in May of 2007, Diane drove down to Jacksonville, Florida to pick up her grandkids and drive them back to South Carolina where they would spend the entire summer with her and their aunt, Deanna and uncle, Tatavius. This would give Marquise and his wife a much-needed break to enjoy themselves as a couple. Sonia held her mother-in-law in high regard. She saw Diane as a very strong woman, a remarkable, elegant, strong mother who was very educated and her beauty radiated from within. Diane really made a lasting impression on Sonia,

and she actually aspired to be like her and emulate those same qualities one day. She of course trusted Diane with her children. And of course, Diane promised to call Sonia and Marquise every day so they could speak with their kids while they were away. That summer, life was good, and it was busy for a 44-year-old Diane and her kids and now her grandkids.

Even though it had been years since her move, she still called in to visit her former coworkers back in her hometown, and in early July, she and Deanna actually took a trip back to Gifford to visit Willie. But the hardworking single mom was about to mark an exciting, a momentous milestone. Remember how I said that Diane had been in touch with her brother that she'd never met? Well, by now, they agreed it was time to finally meet. Diane was super excited, and she looked forward to seeing her brother in the flesh for the very first time in the coming week. She figured that Once her grandchildren had returned home to Florida after the summer, Diane had plans to go up and see her mom Sarah in New York.

Deanna had visited her maternal grandmother the previous Thanksgiving, but Diane hadn't seen her mom in a while. By this time, 20-year-old Jatavias had moved out of the apartment and he was enrolled in the job corps in Bamberg County. But in early July, he came to stay with his mom, his sister, his niece, and his nephew for a visit. and Diane was thrilled to have so many of her loved ones under the same roof. At the same time, 14-year-old Deanna was eagerly counting down the days to her 15th birthday. She loved taking her nephew for walks around the complex, pushing him along in his stroller and waving to people she knew along the way. She recently finished up at Oak Brook Middle School where on the last day,

her principal, Principal Garland Crump, gave Deanna a hug and wished her luck in high school. Principal Crump would never forget Deanna. She flashed in a big grin, and she responded, Mr. Crump, I will make you proud. Diana was, of course, looking forward to starting ninth grade at Fort Dorchester High School. Most importantly, like many teenage girls, she wanted to have her high school wardrobe on point well in advance to make a good impression.

I remember those days. And Deanna loves shoes. A KRS shoe store had recently opened in the mall nearby at the festival center, and that's where you would often find her. She would spend her time browsing the many styles and colors for sale. She was there so much. She got to know the store's co-owner Robin T. Who could tell that for Deanna,

it was a variation on the theme of being a kid in a candy store. Robin trusts in Deanna so much that if she was busy with the customer and Deanna was there, Robin would occasionally have Deanna go fetch shoe boxes from the back room and bring them out to customers to try on. One particular style that had caught Deanna's eye was a pair of bright yellow closed-toed pumps with nearly a three-inch heel. It was easy to see why Deanna was drawn to these striking shoes, but Robin told her young customer she wouldn't sell them to her without her mom Diane's approval. So on July 9th, before school started, mom and daughter went to the shoe store to go shopping.

Deanna was super excited when her mom agreed to let her purchase those yellow pumps that she had been obsessing over. It was going to be the perfect start to the school year. But sadly, no one knew what was about to happen next. In the early hours of the following morning on July 10th, own it all. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly Big Board Buckslot Machine by Aristocrat Gaming,

Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is giving one person a $1.6 million dream package. The biggest prize in Yamava's history. Club Serrano members can earn daily, instant prizes and secure a spot in the finale May 29. Don't pass go and own it all. Only at Yamava, celebrating its 40th anniversary. U.N. Details at yamava.com must be 21-20. Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro. Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. Archdale Forest resident Scott Morgan awoke to what sounded like a crack of a gunshot. Then he heard a scream and three more shots around the apartment complex just echoing from wall to wall.

Scott tried looking out his windows to see what was going on, but they were all fogged up due to the condensation from the air conditioning that he had running through the hot July night. Scott wasn't sure what he had just heard. At the same time, another resident, Matthew Rogers, was watching TV in bed with his fiancee when he heard the same thing, except the gunshots after the scream sounded like they were coming from directly behind Matthew's apartment building.

Matthew called 911 at 2.24 a.m. He told the operator, he and his fiance were afraid to look out the window. They didn't want to draw attention to themselves if someone had a gun and was on the loose. Another caller reached out to the police saying that there were gunshots outside of her apartment. Getting a call like this from a neighborhood like this one

was actually very unusual. It's known as a safe, quiet community. Dorchester County Sheriff's Deputy Patrolman, Adam Smith and Joel Crisp were alerted and soon responded to the location in separate patrol cars. As Deputy Smith made his way onto Shagbark Trail, he kept an eye out for any suspicious vehicles or people that could be fleeing the scene. As he drove around the loop to his left, he saw an apartment door that was open in building 213 and he could see a light on inside. So he radioed to Deputy Crisp to join him so they could approach the front door.

door the apartment together. It was apartment 213B. Deputy Smith slowly approached the door from the right with Deputy Crisp on the left. As the officers moved closer, Deputy Crisp could see inside the apartment. Right away, he saw what appeared to be two people lying motionless on the ground inside and about halfway between the kitchen and the back door. And both of them appear to have suffered trauma to the head, possibly from a gunshot wound. Given that the resident Matthew Rogers had called 911 reporting gunshots, the deputies had no idea

if someone was building a gun and they were still inside the apartment. So they held their position and notified other responding units, including emergency medical services who were quickly on their way. Sergeant Hill and Deputy Buckman soon arrived. Together, the four officers went inside the apartment unit.

The layout was long, long and narrow as they walked into the front door. There was a staircase to their left and to the right was the kitchen with a narrow pathway leading into the dining and living room area. The first body that the officer saw as they made their way inside was that of a woman. Then as they moved further into the home, they saw another person lying next to the couch in the living room area. It was the body of a young man lying half on his stomach and half on his right side. There were no signs of life from either of the two victims. The officers began to secure and clear the residence. They were satisfied that there was nobody else downstairs, so they made their way

up the stairs to where the bedrooms were. That's when they noticed there were two young children in one of these rooms, and they appeared to be asleep. But of course, they weren't sure if they were also victims. So the officers moved closer and realized that both of them had been spared. They were just asleep and alive. One was a five-year-old little girl, and the other was an 18-month-old little boy in his crib, but they were completely unharmed. Deputy Smith and Buckman carried the children downstairs and placed them in a patrol car. Shortly thereafter, the children were taken into custody by the Department of Social Services until other family members can be contacted. And I cannot imagine how traumatizing this would have been for these little children to be woken up by

police officers not knowing what was going on. I just kept thinking about those poor babies. Meanwhile, Georgetown, Cortezer, Coroner Chris and Isbett arrived at the scene and unfortunately pronounced both the man and the woman found in the living room dead at the scene. Officers had an idea of who may live in this apartment building based on the male they found inside, but they weren't 100% sure of the deceased female's identity at this point, nor how the two victims had died. But it appeared they had both been shot in the head. From what they gathered from the male and speaking with the property manager on the site,

the residents who lived there were 44-year-old Diane Grant and 14-year-old Diana DeVore, and that Diane's young grandchildren were visiting for the summer. At first, the investigators believed that the female lying on the ground in the living room was Diana and that Diane wasn't home. Detective Earl Aspel of the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office crime scene unit arrived on the scene after being advised that at least one murder had occurred with the killer possibly taking their own life. This was the assumption with finding the male and the female inside without an understanding of who these people. were. So because that was the working theory at the point, Detective Aspel began taking photographs

and processing the apartment for evidence. On the floor near the kitchen counter, he found and collected 240 caliber Smith and Wesson shell casings. A significant amount of blood spatter was on the back of the front door, and this initially suggested that the victims may have been beaten. But the woman victim had a hole in her left cheek that appeared as it was an exit wound, which accounted for that spatter. The bullet had then entered the wall on the right-hand side of the dining room table, two feet and nine inches from the floor exiting into apartment A next door. So Detective Aspel went to that apartment to ensure no one else was hurt.

After the bullet traveled through the wall, thankfully it lodged itself into a desk drawer and didn't harm anyone else. Crime scene technicians did a gunshot residue test on both bodies. The fact that there didn't appear to be any firearms in the apartment, now made it clear that this was not a case where someone shot the woman and then took their own life. No. This was a double murder. The victims were then transported to the coroner's office, and the officers were still unsure of their identities. But whoever had shot the victims had either brought the weapon with them or potentially stolen it from the home. But there was no

sign of force entry into the apartment. Someone, perhaps, the killer but not the officers, had left shoe impressions of dirt on the floor between the kitchen and the dining room. So Detective Asbill obtained two gel lifts of these impressions to see if they could determine the type and size of shoes of the potential killer. The gel lift is a thin foam. It's got tacky rubber gel with backing on the other side and it's placed onto a shoe impression and then peeled up. And it lifts the impression from the floor.

Basically, it's a lot like fingerprinting but for shoes. determine things like make, style, and size, and sometimes any unique tread marks. From the circular pattern on the ball of the foot and heel in this case, the detective took an educated guess that the shoes were Nike brand Air Force One sneakers or something with a very similar tread design. There were a pair of men's size 10 Nike Air Force One sneakers right next to the couch in the living room and they seemed to have the same pattern as a shoe impressions on the floor. Both this pair and another pair were taken in for analysis along with the gel lifts.

The detectives then took blood swabs and fingerprinted the counter where he could see that somebody had touched it. He also took swabs from the door handles and the dining room table, which had high-velocity blood spatter and some strands of hair on it, which was most likely a result of the shot to Diane's head. Detective John Garrison of the Dorchester County Sheriff's Department arrived and he was the lead investigator. and was assisted by Major Mike Turner and Sergeant Michael Miller. Detective Garrison was surprised to learn that there had been reports of a shooting

at Archdale Forest. This wasn't a neighborhood known for violence, let alone shootings. The Charleston County Sheriff's Office and the North Charleston Police Department were also there to assist. Detective Garrison began organizing officers going door to door to find and interview neighbors

who had called 911, including Matthew Rogers. They also dispersed out to conduct a general canvas of the entire neighborhood to inquire if anyone had seen or heard anything. While only a couple of 911 calls came in, numerous residents had heard the commotion outside. But the fact that it all occurred in the dead of night meant that none of these residents had actually witnessed anything, nor had they heard any vehicles speeding off. Like other residents, Janice Amant told the officers that she thought that someone was actually setting off fireworks, close to the back porch of her apartment. She said that if she thought for a second,

it was gunshots. She would have actually left her apartment, gone across the street, and got one of her neighbors who was actually a sheriff's deputy. The complex's on-site property manager spoke to the investigators again, and after a description of the victims was given to her, she explained that the residents of 213B

were initially Diane, Tatavius, and Deanna, but by the information provided to her, her by the detective, she believed that it was most likely the mother, Diane, and the son Tatavius that were the victims. But then, where was Deanna? She wasn't in her bed. So was she staying with a friend or even worse? What if she had been abducted or somehow involved and was now on the run? These cases really can go in any direction. So officers fanned out across the apartment complex to see if there was any sign of the missing teenager. Tragically, it wasn't until the sun began to arise that investigators would get their answer.

Around 6.30 a.m., two detectives found the body of a young female lying on the muddy ground behind building 105 next to an electrical box. She was wearing a tank top, but was naked from the waist down and barefoot. A pair of pajama bottoms with a pair of underwear were inside and placed on top of the electrical box. She was preliminarily identified as 14-year-old DeVore. The season detectives had seen a lot in their careers, but still, nothing prepares you for seeing something like this. It was just horrendous. They noticed that she had managed to run quite a bit away since building 105 was separated from building 213 by a road, a small ravine, and three other apartment buildings. They wondered why she was so

far from her home, but they theorized that she was, of course, running away from a killer. But also, she could have been trying to get the young children out of harm's way by lowering the killer far away from the apartment where the children were sleeping in their beds. She was laying on her side, and it appeared as though she had been shot several times at close range. It also looked like she might have been the victim of a forced sex act due to her clothing being removed. In the grass near her body, there were four federal brand 40 caliber shell casings, and underneath her body were two bullets of the same caliber. There were also shoe prints in the ground which had been disturbed as if there had been a struggle of some kind in that area. As with Diane and Jotavius, the detectives conducted gunshot residue testing on Deanna, and they decided to take cement castings of the shoe prints that were in the mud.

Back at the apartment with the advantage of daylight now, the detectives noticed even more shoe prints in the mud near the front door, and those were also collected. It seemed they had the same sole pattern as the ones that were inside the apartment. Plus, there was a footprint left there as well. At the sheriff's office, the six shell casings were processed for latent fingerprints, but none were found. Once there was an official identification made of the three victims, the officers had to break the devastating news. to Diane's surviving son Marquise and his wife, Sonia, down in Florida. Their children were visiting Diane. She'd been caring for them for the past six weeks or so.

Diane, Jatavius, Indiana had all been killed. It's the most unbelievable and unexpected and heartbreaking news a person can get. That's basically their entire family that had been murdered. Before Marquise even got the call, he was driving at work that morning, just driving along when suddenly he said that he was overcome with a wave of emotion and just burst into tears. The 25-year-old was confused about why he was feeling that way.

It was not like this man to just start crying out of the blue, but he knew that something had to be wrong. But he had no idea what it was. When Marquise arrived back at the office, a detective from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Department was there to talk to him. She broke the news to Marquise, who was stunned. Three of the most important people in his life were dead in a homicide. As Marquis struggled to come to terms with his shock and disbelief, his thoughts quickly turned to his own children. I know that I would be a complete wreck after hearing that news and knowing that my children

were in that house. An immense wave of relief washed over him when he was told that his kids were safe and temporarily in the care of social services. There were so many. thoughts and emotions from Marquis to process. And his wife, Sonia, felt exactly the same way when he had to break the news to her. She just kept repeating, who would do this? Why? Why? And then her concern quickly turned to her two children. Without hesitating, the heartbroken couple jumped in their car and made the drive to South Carolina. They were still trying to make sense of who could have possibly done something like this to

their family. None of them had any enemies. They worked and they studied hard and they lived good honest lives. Marquise and Sonia weren't the only ones trying to work out what had happened. Diane's ex-husband, Willie, was just a shocked and heartbroken when he learned that his ex-wife and two of their children

had been gunned down in cold blood. At the same time, Detective Garrison needed to make inquiries as to whether Diane's ex-husband, Willie, knew anything about the slings because, as we know, it's those closest to the victims who are often involved.

Even though Diane and the younger kids had moved away from Gifford, there had still been a marriage that broke down. Even if an ex-spouse isn't involved, they need to be eliminated as suspects. So Willie told investigators he was just as confused as Marquise about who could possibly have done this, who would target his family in such a brutal way, and he flatly denied having any involvement in this crime.

Willie claimed he had been in bed at the time of the murders because he had to be at work at 5 a.m. and this was corroborated by others who knew him. Willie knew that if he left the house during that time frame, his own security cameras would show that, and police were ultimately satisfied that he was home the entire night. The state law enforcement division, which is known as SLED, oversaw the autopsies and the collection of evidence from the victim's bodies.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Cynthia Shandall conducted two of the autopsies while Dr. Susan Presnell performed the other. Both Diane and Jatavius had each been killed by a single close-range gunshot to the head. Diane was shot in the back right-hand side of her head with the bullet exiting her left cheek. Jatavius had a laceration due to blunt force injury on the right side of his scalp and a school fracture underneath. He also had several scrapes on his body. He suffered a close-range gunshot wound through his left cheek just below his eye, which traveled into his head through his brain stem. The bullet was recovered in three fragments from the back of the right side of Jatavius's head.

Deanna had been shot at least four times at close range, in the face below her right eye and in the right side of her neck, and part of the bullet had shot her in the face and it exited the side of her neck next to her jaw. The fatal shot was likely the one to the neck, which immediately shattered her brainstem and her spinal cord. That is just absolutely horrifying. Another gunshot fractured Deanna's upper spine, which had she have survived, would have meant she would have lived with significant physical impairment and most likely would have not been able to walk again. This is just horrible. Like who would do this to them?

Deanna had also been shot in the upper right part of her back. The bullet exited above her left collarbone and caused bleeding into her left lung. She sustained another gunshot wound to her right shoulder. She clearly sustained more damage than her mother and her brother. Swabs were taken from Deanna's mouth and the lower private areas of her body, and these revealed the presence of semen on her mouth area and on her pajama pants, and they were sent in for testing. However, there was no indication at this time that there had been any penetration of her genital area.

As arrangements were being made for Deanna, Jatavius, and Deanna to be laid to rest back in their hometown of Gifford on the evening of July 16th, a vigil was held for them at the Tree of Life Ministries in North Charleston. Among the 175 people that paid their respects and came together to honor the victims were Jatavius' friend Usha Mackie and Diane's former supervisor Anthony Gileard. On July 18th, just two days after what would have been Deanna's 15th birthday, Diane, Jatavius, and Deanna's loved ones had to say their goodbyes to them at their joint funeral. There were so many people anticipated for that service that it was actually held at the elementary school auditorium. To me, it is always heartbreaking to see more than one casket wind up next to one another.

Just a family gone altogether. This was the moment everything became real for Marquise. He would never see his mother again, never see his younger brother and sister, who he'd all always fiercely tried to protect. Now they were gone. And while Marquise was of course beyond thankful that his own children were physically unharmed, there was no denying that things would change forever. Diane, Detavius, and Deanna were all buried

at the Mont Zion Cemetery back in Gifford. But Marquise was still scared. If someone could shoot three members of his family at close range and apparently force themselves upon his teenage sister, a family who hadn't been, who hadn't done anything bad to anyone, then what was stopping them from jumping in their car,

heading to Florida to do the same thing to Marquise and his family. No one knew why they were targeted to begin with, but at this stage, law enforcement felt that the victims knew their assailant, but were staying tight-lipped about the investigation. Tia Thomas, whose daughters were good friends with Deanna, told one newspaper that from what she observed,

Jatavius was a pleasant young man, but he had supposedly been running around with a rougher crowd lately. Investigators wondered if the killer could have known the family this way. But still, there didn't seem to be a motive. Nothing seemed to be stolen from the apartment, and it seemed Deanna was chased down and then, of course, forced into a sex act. So they needed to dig deeper. As authorities looked back to see if there had been any previous police involvement, they noted that a month before the murders, a neighbor had reported that Diane's grandchildren had actually been left alone in the apartment.

Now, Tatavius was supposed to be the one babysitting the kids, which would make sense because Diane was at work. But however, somehow, the younger children had accidentally been locked inside of a bedroom in the apartment. Both of the kids were totally unharmed, and a maintenance man had to come and unlock the door. And apparently, the Department of Social Services had to be notified. But there was never anything to follow up on.

Still, this incident didn't seem to be related to the murders in any way, and it didn't indicate who the killer would be. The following evening, at a community meeting providing an update on this investigation, Dorchester County Sheriff Ray Nash told a gathering of about 40 concerned residents that at this stage, law enforcement had no reason to believe that this was just a random crime. But they still didn't know what the motive was for the murders, and of course, this did nothing to calm this community.

They knew a killer was still on the loose. Among those in attendance were residents of Building 105, where Dana's body had been found four hours after the shooting. They were unhappy that it had taken so long for her body to be found, largely due to the way she had been laid out in the open, exposed all of that time. Nor could they understand why it had taken so long for deputies to find Deanna given that the 911 calls came from residents in Building 105 itself. Because one caller said she heard gunshots right in the back of her apartment in Building 105.